Bonnie Hunt

Actor / Filmmaker

Born: 22 September 1961

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois

Best known as: The mom in those Beethoven dog movies

Bonnie Hunt is a Chicago actress who took her comedy improvisation skills to Hollywood and made a name playing wisecracking moms, sisters and wives in movies such as Beethoven (1992), Jerry Maguire (1996) and Cheaper by the Dozen (2003). Hunt was working as a nurse when she got her professional start in live comedy troupes, including Chicago's Second City. Small but memorable roles in Rain Man (1988, with Dustin Hoffman) and Dave (1993) led to a steady career in Hollywood comedies in the 1990s. At the same time, Hunt got involved in TV production, creating and writing sitcoms such as The Building (1993), Bonnie (1995-96) and Life With Bonnie (2002-2004). She also wrote and directed the feature film Return to Me (2000, starring David Duchovny). She landed her own daytime TV show -- a blend of ad-libbed comedy and interviews with celebrities -- in the fall of 2008 (and cancelled after the 2010 season). Her other films include Jumanji (1995, starring Robin Williams) and The Green Mile (1999, starring Tom Hanks), as well as voice work in A Bug's Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Cars (2006).

Extra credit: Hunt has often been a guest on David Letterman's television show, and her TV show The Building was made in conjunction with Letterman's production company... She is not related to actress Helen Hunt.